Roots: The Eurovision Song Contest (The story title is a reworking
of Lulu's winning 1966 entry 'Boom Bang a Bang'), Logan is a parody of
perennial UK host Terry Wogan, even down to the style of banter, dodgy
jokes and references to 'the missus', Donnie Logan was also the name of
a two-time Irish winner. Agatha Christie, Star Trek, (The Salt/Sweat Vampire, meeting
an alien claiming to be God, but also its spin-offs - mainly Deep Space
Nine), Babylon 5((the prologue about the new commander - last
best hope for peace), Space: 1999 (Bergman and Fassbinder were
both the names of early cinema pioneers, Bergman's insane schemes, and Eleanor/Helena),
Dark Star. The Doctor and Mel refer to [Hercule] Poirot and Hastings, and
Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Scooby Doo ('maybe it was old Mr. Jenkins,
the janitor'). Cluedo ('Professor Fassbinder with the lead piping the lab').
Red Dwarf (inappropriately-placed red alert switch). Mention is made
of the Four Tops and the Doctor recommends as reading material the works of
[Elizabeth] Gaskill. Nicky Newman's music recalls that of Stock Aitken Waterman). One
of the security men in episode four does a Michael Caine impersonation.
Logan refers to Ride of the Valkyries, the Doctor refers to Neighbours
from Hell and mentions Klytaemnestra (from Aeschylus' Agamemnon).
London's anti terrorist Ring of Steel is referenced (though here it is
iron). The Doctor paraphrases the old stage maxim 'Learn your lines and
try not to bump into the scenery.' (also one of Sylvester's lines at conventions:
'I just learnt my lines and tried not to bump into the monsters.'), Zeta
One (Angvia is named after a race of female aliens in this film), A number of
Sylvestor's other shows are namechecked (Jigsaw, Eureka, Vision On, and
Graham Garden's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is mentioned!), Hi-De-Hi (Bert
Swanley and the Debonaires), Angvia's cry of 'My make-up! My wardrobe! My wig!' is
quoted from the Pet Shop Boy's song 'Shameless',

Intertextuality: The Pahkar race was introduced in Gary Russell's
New Adventure Legacy. Its 'Kerry Packer' joke is continued here
with Geri and Terri (The Doctor says he doesn't think he's been to their
world, though Legacy states he was there in his third incarnation!). Mel
paraphrases Terrance Dicks' famous summation
of the Doctor ('you're never nasty, or deliberately cruel...'). Vibro-knives
(used to kill Logan) may be based upon those which featured in the DWM
comic strip 'The Shape Shifter' For references to Barastabon, see 'Project:
Twilight', Black Star matter was first referenced in the DW Weekly comic strip 'The
Star Beast'

Goofs: The Doctor says that when they were with the dead Cyrene,
it was Mel that called for the Doctor, but it was Geri.

Harcourt the fantasist's many years means she can perform an operation,
but still can't operate simple scanning equipment!

Technobabble: Most of what Professor Fassbinder makes up.

Double Entendres: 'I didn't know for sure until Angvia was Koshed'

'We keep our peckers up.'

'Nothing is impregnable if you have the right equipment'

'I seem to have spent my entire life being wet and cold'

'Oooh, my liddle man!'

'I'm not like the other boys!'

Dialogue Triumphs: 'The universe can wait, I am a woman!'

Continuity: Dark Space 8 is a remote space station, apparently
a sister craft to younger stations Star Island XII (embassy to the Shak'R'ok
empire) and Achilles IV (host to the All Worlds Peace Convention - ostensibly
between Gholos and Angvia). Dark Space 8 has been in operation for 4814
days, whilst its current surviving crew have been there for 7 years [as
the system they are in measures it]. There are 210 crew members. It is
made of twenty tonnes (which seems rather light) of super-bonded Herculanium.
It has at least 6 docking bays, a dining sphere, rest-sphere, swimming pool,
auditorium, a guest lounge and there is a gift shop selling roses on
level thirteen. In the recent
past of Dark Space Eight Professor Fassbinder's wife was killed by a sweat
vampire, the being Zeon appeared out of space and froze everyone, claiming
to be God, and, via a silicon-based creature which threatened to enslave
all carbon-based lifeforms an outbreak of Orion Flu (resistant to all treatment [
that Dr. Harcourt could come up with, anyway]), which claimed its previous
commander, Paul Keel.

The real Commander John Ballard was leader of the Perseus expedition,
famous for overthrowing an ancient super-computer that had fooled its population
into thinking they were in paradise [his mind was too strong for it].

There have been 308 previous International Song Contests, this latest
broadcasting to 'over quinquillion homes across the universe'. Contestants
in this latest include Ferazferon, the Cissadian Cephalopods, Drahva (their
entrant is Maaga 29), the Architects of Algol, the Breebles and the Freznixx
of Braal. Cyrene, an old ally of Angvia, have distinctive colouring and
resemble the gorgon Medusa. Angvia's representative is fourteenth queen
of the House of Silcitor. Songs featured include Drahva's 'Clone Love',
Argol's 'Don't Push Your Tentacle Too Far' (sung by Billionus Groo-Fang of
the Arkol star cluster), and Angvia's 'Gozraj-a-dett' ('My Love is as
Limitless as a Black Hole, and I'm Pulling You Over the Event Horizon').
Martians are among the jury members.

Angvia is fourteenth queen of the Hearth of Celsitor. Angvians are
a matriarchal society. Angvian physiognomy is almost identical to that
of humans (although they themselves look like Valkyries). Angvians can
emit pheromones from their armpits that makes the males of other species
fall for them. Angvia has been locked in centuries of territorial conflict
with their neighbouring galaxy Gholos. According to Angvia their home planet
('halfway across space from [Dark Space 8]' according to the Doctor, and
'on the other side of the galaxy' according to Angvia) was a pastoral world
until Gholos 'arrived' thirty generations ago [presumably the gestalt cloud,
not the planet Gholos]. During their conflict, Gholos broke the Tenebros
IV peace treaty and the Fringe Worlds of the Zordon Nebula were settled
by Angvia in violation of this treaty. Their Personal Destructor, a piece
of modulated black star matter, can turn people into bombs, set off by
their stress levels, and explodes with the power of 50 scatter bombs. It
is an Angvian custom to share a meal with the chief of their host village.
Their world is wooded, with one of its creatures being the Argellian Star
Bison and vegetation including the Angvian leaping bean.

Gholos is part of a gesalt entity, the singing part looking like a
ball of candy floss. Interpreters are needed to understand them. Gholosian
language is a complex series of signals famed in semiotic strings. They
turn blue before striking ('the Blue Sting of Death').

Pahkar is famous for being peaceful, their planet is 'a peaceful paradise'
where its inhabitants labour on 'work wheels', the Pakhar race becoming
reknown diplomats.

A vibro-knife is used to kill Logan.

Doctor Elena Harcourt uses an extract from Malvolian fungi to treat
Nicky's headache and nausea [or at least she says she does]. In an epilogue
to this story, she has been imprisoned for three years in the Singularity
7 correctional facility and thereafter has enrolled as a junior medical
student at Saint Gidula's teaching hospital (for a five year training course).

Earth's 'national' anthem is 'I Will Survive'. It has been responsible
for great songs like 'Greensleeves', 'Mull of Kintyre' and 'Ride on Time'.

The TARDIS' translation system/Doctor's Time Lord gift can't translate
Gholos. The peoples of the universe know of Time lords but believe them
to be a myth.

Mel has a whistle in her pocket (the Doctor planted it there). She
is an excellent shoulder masseuse.

Prior to the events of this story the Doctor and Mel were apparently
en route to the Maison Rouge restaurant in Paris. It has always been one
of the Doctor's ambitions to write the great intergalactic novel. Whilst
dining with Angvia he orders Pamperanean fritters and later tells a joke
about a triple-headed Barasbaronian high priest.

Untelevised Stories: The Doctor knows of Pakhars, but doesn't
think he's ever visited their planet. He may however have visted Angvia,
but doesn't remember there being any 'pits' to speak of on it, only trees.
The Doctor speaks of his 'old friend' (Rene) Descartes.

Location: Dark Space 8, the adventure takes place over 2 days.

Links: 'Galaxy 4' (Drahvins), 'The Stones of Blood' (Saint Gidula
is mentioned in both stories), 'Paradise Towers' (Mel's problems
with lifts), 'Delta and the Bannermen' (Mel says 'I don't know much about
Cyrene metabolism, but I think she's dead'). 'The One Doctor' (the Breebles
and Earth's national anthem both feature among Mentos' Super Brain questions)

The Bottom Line: "He's dead!" (da-daa-daaaaaaaah - ooo-weee-ooooo)

Okay, whose idea was it to have Bonnie Langford not sing?!
The International Song Contest aspect isn't used as much as hoped (there
should have been more songs!)

Some great acting though, especially Patricia Quinn's outrageous Queen
Angvia, but on the whole this is rather let down by the story. The setting
shows its influence too much, leaving the sense that this story is a cobble
of other space shows rather than anything really new. We do like the irony
of the station name, though - what is a recording studio other than a Dark
Space?